On the upside, you could replace it with a 128x64 VFD (Noritake do an intelligent module, though it will need a 5v PSU and care to ensure it doesn't feed 5v back into the very 3.3v CPU). This would then need light kernel mods to drive it correctly.

I would well pay moolah for this, Hugo, if you could cottage-industry a few up for me.

I'd pay less moolah, but still some, just for a proper white-LED backlight a la Nokia.

Peter